Dear Friend, Next year will mark the centenary of the birth of James Baldwin: “a compassionate witness, unyielding prophet, and a saint in the deepest meaning of that word.” So Robert P. Jones describes him in his endorsement for Greg Garrrett’s stunning new work, The Gospel According to James Baldwin. While Baldwin stands as one of the essential guides to the enduring stain of America’s racial divide, Garrett aims to show “What America’s Great Prophet Can Teach Us about Life, Love, and Identity.” In this close study he explores why Baldwin’s insights remain as relevant as ever. In this “gospel” Baldwin’s voice reminds us that equality, justice, and reconciliation—while difficult to attain—remain dreams worth pursuing.             The life and vision of another writer is treated in Caryll Houselander: A Biography...